'Police had no choice': Florist defends officers' decision to shoot Sydney man 'armed with scissors'
An elderly florist from Sydney’s Central Station said the man shot dead by police held a glass shard to his neck before he picked up a pair of scissors during the robbery.
Moments later, the robber was killed as countless commuters watched on during rush hour.
On Wednesday at 6.45pm officers were called to a flower shop on Eddy Avenue in Haymarket to reports of an armed robbery.
Police reportedly yelled at the man inside to put the scissors down and also tried to use Tasers, but they did not go off and he did not stop.
He is then seen appearing to run at police before he was shot four times.
The florist, Manuel Theoharas, told Sunrise the man held a shattered bottle to his neck.
He managed to flee before the man was shot.
“He grabbed me from behind,” he said.
“He was breaking everything inside.”
Mr Theoharas said while he knew nothing about the man, who police said was Asian in appearance, police had no choice but to shoot him.
“I don’t think they had a choice because he could have run out there while he was holding the scissors to hurt other people,” he said.
Witness Nick Mavros said police warned the man to “put it down”.
“I heard screaming,” he said.
“I heard, ‘put it down, put it down’ and then there was like three or four gunshots.”
Another witness, Sami Aryal, said officers asked for the man to come outside but he wouldn’t.
“But as soon as he came, he was shot and fell straight to the ground and the whole area was sealed,” she said.
NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Walton confirmed the man had died and said an investigation was underway.
“That investigation will be subject to independent review in accordance with police policy and guidelines,” he said.
The man is yet to be identified.
Police said the incident was not terror-related.
NSW Police are encouraging anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or by using the Crime Stoppers online reporting page
